CORNELIA, Ga. — Investigators from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office are looking into the killing of Minelys Zoe Rodriguez-Ramirez.
Her family explains that she had a passion for life -- especially working out and her presence on social media app TikTok, where she had 38,600 followers. But that life was tragically cut far too short.
Now, her mother wants everyone to know who her daughter was and how her death has devastated their family.
"That destroyed me," Carmen Ramirez said.
Ramirez said her daughter, Minelys, known by everyone as “Mimi,” was a ray of sunshine. She explained that she and Mimi's fiancé grew concerned when she went missing last week.
Police found Mimi's car near a store where she once worked, at a Walmart off Furniture Drive in Habersham County.
"They found her wallet and one shoe. That was another thing that made us think she didn’t get out of the car so simple," Rodriguez said.
When police began searching the trunk, Ramirez said her own life flashed before her eyes.
“When they were going to open the trunk of the car. I started seeing everything. My heart goes so fast.”
Mimi’s remains were found later on Furniture Drive, according to the Habersham County Coroner.
Since she disappeared in an area she was familiar with, her mom believes she may have known her killer. She also thinks the suspect, Angel DeJesus Rivera-Sanchez, didn't act alone.
"I don’t think he did it by himself. I don’t think he can’t handle Mimi by himself. She was very strong," Ramirez said.
She alluded to Mimi's love for going to the gym and working out -- where she garnered much of her followers and attention on TikTok.
Ramirez said she’s speaking out about her daughter’s case because she wants women to be cautious.
GBI and the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office both say there are no updates in the case at this time.
Mimi’s mother says she plans to take her daughter back to Puerto Rico to be buried next to her father, who passed away back in 2017.
There is an online fundraiser set up to help pay for those expenses.